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Volunteer With Elephants In Africa – Elephants are fascinating creatures so it’s no wonder you want to volunteer your time to help conserve this highly endangered species. They are the largest land mammal and have the largest brain, but elephants face many dangerous dangers when forced to work in the tourism industry from poaching. Volunteers are needed to help conservation projects rehabilitate formerly captive elephants and reintroduce them to semi-wild environments.
There are many things to consider when choosing to volunteer with elephants, including what your program is known for and how best to put the best interests of the elephants in their work. Deciding where you want to volunteer with elephants is also important as they live in many places in both Africa and Asia.
Volunteer With Elephants In Africa
In this article, we’ve gathered information about some of the most popular countries where you can find elephant sanctuaries in need of volunteer work — and what volunteer opportunities are available.
Volunteering Solutions: 2 Weeks Special Volunteer In Thailand
If you want to volunteer with wild elephants, you should choose a program in Africa and Asia. On both continents, some popular destinations include those listed below.
Thailand is one of the most popular places on earth to volunteer with elephants. There are some popular organizations where you can volunteer at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. If you are interested in moving to northern Thailand near Chiang Mai, apply for a volunteer program at Kindred Spirits Elephant Sanctuary or Burn and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary (BEES).
The elephants at these sanctuaries are retired from forced labor in captivity, such as the logging industry or harmful tourism shows and activities. Now, these gentle animals roam free in semi-wild environments and enjoy the rest of their days in their natural habitat. Both are well-known organizations that prioritize the needs of animals and do not allow dangerous and predatory activities such as riding, feeding, bathing or touching.
Sri Lanka is a wonderful place to see elephants in the wild — including one where I saw them myself. On an early morning visit to Udawalawe National Park, I saw 55 wild elephants, including a male tusk and a week-old baby. It was one of my most memorable travel experiences and the most impactful because elephant conservation changed the livelihoods of villagers in Sri Lanka and preserved the habitat and quality of life of these wild animals.
What Can I Do To Help Elephants?’
Greenheart Travel’s Elephant Conservation Volunteer Program works with the Sri Lankan Wildlife Conservation Society to help resolve human-elephant conflicts in Wasgamua National Park. International Volunteer HQ (IVHQ) has another amazing volunteer project with elephants in Sri Lanka. IVHQ collaborates with the local wildlife conservation community and needs volunteers to help with observation and research related tasks. Both programs are ethical as there is no direct interaction with elephants.
India is not focusing on elephant conservation like other Asian countries. Many elephants still work around the country. Elephants work at temples and some provide chairs for tourists or are kept captive for tourists to paint. Both are activities that should be avoided by anyone who loves and respects large mammals.
Wildlife SOS is the most popular animal sanctuary in India. They care for over 20 elephants and welcome volunteers to help out at their Agra location.
There are several elephant sanctuaries in Mondulkiri, Cambodia. All have similar names so it is difficult to decipher between them. The most famous is the Elephant Valley Project. They welcome volunteers for a week-long program that includes various volunteer projects and community learning opportunities, along with many opportunities to observe the 10 elephants that live here in their forest environment.
Volunteering In Botswana
Mondulkiri Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuary is a non-profit developed by L.E.A.F Cambodia: a local environmental conservation NGO. They welcome volunteers to join them for free, including accommodation and meals. Volunteers can be expected to plant trees to encourage reforestation and work on making salt blocks, nesting boxes or signs.
South Africa is home to African elephants so it’s no surprise that there are many popular projects in the region that need help from volunteers. The Operation Wallacea Conservation Research Assistant Program in South Africa has excellent reviews and a 100% score from past volunteers. Volunteers assist Operation Wallacea with research and data collection about elephants and other wildlife roaming South African reserves.
Wildlife ACT is another popular program that uses volunteers to promote elephant conservation in the African wilderness of Zululand. The program is supported by the World Wildlife Foundation, has Fair Trade Tourism certification and received a second place award for Best for Habitat & Species Conservation in Africa 2017.
In Nairobi, travelers can raise an orphaned elephant for just $50 a year at an elephant nursery run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust in partnership with the Kenya Wildlife Service. You can visit your foster elephant in the evenings and watch the keepers put them to bed until the elephant is released back into the wild at 10 years of age. Many elephant calves that are being cared for by non-profits have become orphans. A result of killing their mothers for ivory.
Volunteer With Elephants In Nepal
In Zimbabwe, there are endangered and vulnerable elephants (and rhinos!) that local operations are fighting to conserve! Go Overseas Volunteers gave African Impact an excellent review score for their elephant conservation project at Marondera Game Reserve. The Great Projects runs a program where volunteers spend time in a local farm-turned-conservancy that is a reserve for wildlife near the capital city.
Volunteers can spend a month volunteering in Zambia with Game Rangers International helping orphaned elephants in Kafue National Park or Lilai Game Reserve. Tasks include studying the behaviors of elephants as you walk to track them as they roam the bush to collect data. Through this in-depth research role, you will gain valuable knowledge about elephants and contribute to conservation efforts. Volunteers with experience in the media are welcome to support the Elephant Orphanage Project and assist with marketing activities such as article writing.
As you can see, there are opportunities throughout Asia and Africa to make a lasting impact while volunteering with elephants at popular nature reserves, sanctuaries, and rehabilitation centers. Check out the organization to feel confident that they put the animals’ needs first, and then get ready to have an impactful experience you’ll never forget. Support our elephant conservation volunteer programs: Experience an unforgettable volunteering adventure abroad as you dedicate yourself to the conservation of endangered giants as a volunteer on one of our elephants – as part of your sabbatical, gap year or as a nature lover looking for meaningful time in the wild.
Volunteer Namibia Elephant Conservation Travel to Africa and be active in saving the endangered desert elephant in Damaraland, Namibia from 12 to 72 days from 1.200 €
Volunteer Work With Elephants In Thailand’s Elephant Sanctuary
Volunteer Sri Lanka elephant care abroad 2 to 12 weeks in Sri Lanka from 1.300 € Dedicate yourself to the protection of the Asian elephant and endangered carnivores
Volunteer Abroad Namibia Elephant Care – Family Discover Namibia with your whole family and help save the country’s endangered desert elephants from 10 days from 1.200 €
Zambia Volunteer Abroad Kafue Elephant Conservation Immerse yourself in the wilderness of Zambia’s Kafue National Park and help save orphaned elephants as a volunteer from 2.360 € for 22 days
Zambia Volunteer Abroad Lusaka Elephant Conservation Contribute to the protection of orphaned elephants and discover the incomparable culture and biodiversity of Zambia from 22 days from 2.360 €
Volunteer Testimonials And Latest News
Zambia Species Conservation Abroad Become a volunteer in Zambia and help carry out conservation work near Lusaka and in the awe-inspiring Kafue National Park 22 days from 2.850 €
Volunteer with elephants abroad and help protect and conserve the gentle giants as a volunteer on one of our elephant aid projects in Asia and South Africa – and spend an extraordinary and exciting time abroad surrounded by incomparable landscapes and fascinating wildlife.
Huge, awe-inspiring, highly intelligent – and considered endangered. Elephants are truly impressive and encountering one of these large mammals is a profound, magical and unforgettable experience. Although they have almost no natural enemies, they face a major threat to their existence.
These days, almost anywhere in the world, elephants die faster than they reproduce. This applies to the African elephant (Loxodonta africana), the largest living land mammal, the African forest elephant (Loxodonta cyclotis) as well as the Asian elephant (Eliphas maximus). Meanwhile, all three species are listed in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Volunteering In Namibia
Hunting and habitat loss are the two main reasons for the sharp decline in the population of these fascinating mammals. About 100 elephants die every day in Africa due to illegal poaching. Hunters focus on teeth. Their tusks are mainly smuggled to East Asia, where a mainly illegal trade in blood products flourishes.
Another serious problem: the so-called human-wildlife-conflict. In Africa as well as in Asia, the natural habitats of gentle giants often overlap with human populations. such as
